The present invention relates to improved trolling apparatus and particularly to drive and control means therefor, and combined trolling apparatus including temperature sensing means.
When trolling in relatively deep water, it is desirable to use a control line with a heavy weight to hold the end of the control line at the desired depth. A fishing line is coupled to the control line in a detachable manner to maintain the fishing lure at the desired depth while trolling and provide normal play of the fishing line once a fish strikes and the fishing line separates from the control line. Presently, trolling reels are manually operated to raise and lower the control line. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,614,016 issued on Oct. 19, 1971 and assigned to the present assignee. Since it is necessary to raise and lower the control line to recouple the fishing line after each strike, and since the weighted control line is frequently payed out to lengths in excess of 100 feet; the operation of the manual reels can become quite burdensome.
Although power driven fishing reels for paying out and retrieving fishing lines are known, such systems are generally unsuitable for trolling reels since the design considerations for the two different reels are dissimilar. In addition to providing a powered deep water trolling reel, it is desirable to provide depth indication means at the reel, at a remote location such as the boat's pilot house; or at both locations. It is also frequently desirable to remotely control the trolling reel drive and to have it retrieve the line automatically after a strike so the fisherman can concentrate on landing the fish and quickly reattach the fishing line. These features have not been provided by existing trolling apparatus.
Since many species of fish prefer known temperature waters, it is generally desirable to pay out the control line to water depth at which such temperature strata exists thereby positioning the lure or bait within the area habitated by the species of fish sought. The water temperture and depth can be ascertained by a separate line lowered a measurable distance to the desired temperature strata by positioning a temperature sensitive measuring device on the line. The trolling control line is then payed out the same length.
The use of an electrical cable with a temperature sensitive device positioned at one end for the control line is suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,274 to Charles P. Wojahn issued on Dec. 21, 1971. The device described in this patent, however, does not provide remote reading of the detected temperature but mounts the electrical components and indicators directly on the manually operated rotating reel. With such an arrangement, the reel must be stopped to read the water temperature and the operator must view the indicator from the side of the reel which can be very inconvenient. Additionally, the temperature sensing element of the system described in this patent is positioned adjacent the weight at the end of the control line. Frequently, the fishing lure is actually several feet above, below, or away from the end of the control line thus an erroneous reading can occur. In one embodiment of the present invention whereupon the control line provides electrical conductors to a temperature sensing means, means are provided for positioning the temperature sensing means in proximity to the fishing lure to provide an accurate indication of the water temperature at which the lure is located.